Arshad Nadeem To Anderson Peters: 5 Opponents Neeraj Chopra Needs To Be Vary Of In Javelin

Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra will be in action on Thursday (August 8) at the ongoing Paris Olympics 2024. The 26-year-old athlete from Haryana will take part in the men’s javelin throw final and start the competition as the favourite to defend his title. Chopra, who became the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in track and field, qualified for the final after topping the qualification rounds on Tuesday (August 6). He touched the distance of 89.34 m.

Chopra’s javelin throw final is scheduled to start at 11:55 p.m. IST on Thursday.

Even though Neeraj is the favourite to win gold in Paris, there are many other world-class players as well.

READ MORE: Paris Olympics 2024 Day 13 Live Updates

Here’s a look at five players that can pose tough competition for Neeraj Chopra.

Jakub Vadlejch (Czech Republic): Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The 33-year-old sits in No. 1 position in the world rankings and has qualified for the final after registering a throw of 85.63 m. His season’s best throw is 88.65, and his personal best is 90.88 m. If he manages to breach the 90-meter mark on Thursday as well, he will be in line to finish on the podium.

Julian Weber (Germany): Germany’s Julian Weber finished 4th in the Tokyo Olympics. His personal best is 89.54 m. The 29-year-old topped Group A in qualification with a throw of 87.76 m and will look to win his first Olympic medal in the French capital.

Arshad Nadeem (Pakistan): Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem finished in 5th place in the Tokyo Olympics. The 27-year-old Pakistani athlete won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and a silver medal at the World Championships last year. His personal best record is 90.18 m, and he will be looking to breach that mark and win yellow metal.

Anderson Peters (Gernada): 27-year-old Anderson Peters is a Grenadian javelin thrower who is a two-time gold medallist at the World Championships. He failed to qualify for the finals of the Tokyo Olympics but is a force to be reckoned with in the javelin world. In fact, among all the 12 athletes that will be in action on Thursday (August 8), Peters’ personal best of 93.07 m is the highest. He touched the distance of 88.63 m in the qualification round.

Keshorn Walcott (Trinidad and Tobago): Keshorn Walcott won a gold medal in the javelin throw event at the 2012 London Olympics and a bronze medal four years later in Rio. The 31-year-old has a personal best of 90.16 m, and he made it to the finals after finishing sixth in Group A with an 83.02 m distance.

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